Fresh fruit pack extension and liner



.G. sYKEs `2,190,955

FRESH FRUIT ACKEXTEN-SION AND LINER Feb. 20, 1940.

Filed Dec. '7, 1938 d @L @am @g3/393% ,r ,A A *gli* mwwwwwgggf Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. l

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, I0 designates a substantially rectangular sheet of thin material such as cardboard, havinga certain degree of flexibility and yet of sufficient stability to prevent collapse vwhile being inserted in the upper portion of a packing box. Portions at the corners of this sheet of material are cut away to form substantially rectangular notches II and the central portions I2 of the edges of the material formed by said notches occupy positions thatv are inclined approximately ninety degrees relative to the side and end edges of the member III.

By providing the `straight inclined vedges I2 at the inner corners 'of the notches II, the ends of the marginal portions of the sheet between the notches il and which constitute side and end flaps, the ends of the latter when folded at right angles to the main body portion of the sheet and the liner is inserted in a packing box, are

spaced a slight distance apart, such spacing being illustrated in Fig. 4.

The narrowstrips of. material along the sides of the sheet I@ between the notches il constitute side flaps I3 that are adapted to be folded downwardly at right angles to the plane occupied by the main body of the sheet when thel liner and extension member is inserted in the upper portion of the box and, to facilitate this folding the sheet isl scored along the lines I4 and which latter are parallel with and inset from the outer edges of the flap members.

Likewise the'narrow portions at the ends of the sheet between the notches II constitute end flaps I5 that are adapted to be folded downwardly at right angles to the sheet when. the device is positioned in the box and these end flaps are foldable along scored lines I6 that are parallel with and inset from the end edges of the sheet.

The ends of the scored lines I6 that define the lines of fold of .the end flaps I5, and the ends of the scored lines I I thatdefine the lines of fold for the side flaps I3, terminate at the ends of the inclined edges I2 at the inner ends of notches II.

That portion of the sheet I0 insidethe scored lines IA and I6 is cut along the lines I'Ito form a pair of substantially rectangular iiaps It thatr are adapted to be folded upwardly and outwardly when the device is inserted in the box, thus producing a` pair of relatively large openings I9 in the sheet through which the additional and final tiers or layers cf fruit are packed into the box on top of the body of fruit that practically fills said box. The inner edges of the iiaps I3 are separated by a centrally arranged transversely disposed. 'strip 2li that functions as a tie between the central portions of the sides of the Adevice and, to counteract tendency of the ends of this tie to tear or break away from the side portions of the device, said ends that join the sides of the sheet I Il are widened as designated by 2 I In order that the iiaps I3 may be swung upwardly and outwardly into the positions illustrated in. Fig. 2 to enable the finallayers or tiers of fruit to be packed in the box, transversely disposed scored lines 22 are provided and these scored lines occupy positions parallel with and inset slightly from the scored lines i6 at the ends of the sheet. Between the ends of the scored rlines 22 and the `slots formed in the sheet to define the side edges of the flaps I8, short diagonally disposed slits 23 extend from the outer ends of the slits I'I to the ends of the scored lines 22 and which slits 23 are parallel with the diagonal edges I2in the central portions of the notches II.

The material forming the ilaps lI8 is scored transversely as designated by'24 along transverse lines that are parallel with and inset from the scored lines 22, thus enabling the flaps I8 to break or bend along said scored lines 24 when said flaps are swung upwardly and outwardly as illustrated in Fig. 2.

These scored lines 24 are disposed, so that when the combined liner and extension member is rst positioned in the box and before it is elevated, the portions of the flaps` I3y between the scored lines I6 and 24 willrest on the upper edges of the end walls of the box as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,v thus supporting the liner and extension wall member while the space within the box is being filled or packed with fruit.

In the use of my improved liner and extension wall member, a liner A of cardboard or the like is placed on the bottom of the box with the end portions of said bottom liner extending part way up the side walls of the box. l

End liners B are nowv positioned within the box'against `the lower portions of the inner faces of the side walls and to'retain said end liners in position, the ends of the bottom linerA are bent i upward so as to lie. against the lower inner faces of said end liners. rIhe combined liner and extension wall member may be positioned in the upper portion of the box before any' of the fruit is vpacked thereon or, it may be positioned in the box after the same has been filled with fruit, with centralflaps I8 resting on top of the side and end walls of the box. y

Fruit is now packed in the box to practically l ll the same or until the top layer or tier is practically level with the upper edges of the walls of the box. The extension' wall member and liner is now elevated to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, thus providing an enclosed space above the upper edges of the walls of the box and which kspace receives the added tiers or layers of the fruit. Thus the packing of the added tiers or layers of fruit is greatly facilitated and such added fruit is confined in the space above the body of the fruit that fills the box and prevents n such added fruit from rolling top of the pack. y

After the added layers or tiers of fruithave been packed in the space within the extension walls formed by thevertically disposed flaps I3 and I5, the flaps I8 are folded upwardly and inwardly on to the top of the body of fruit and the box now passes to the machine that compresses the body of fruit and applies and lsecures the cover to the box.r

As the body of fruit iscompressed by the machine, the extension wall member and liner will be forced downwardly with that portion of the fruit in the upper part of the box so that finally the lower edges ofthe aps I3 and I5 will be positioned immediately adjacent the upper edges of the side and end linersA and B.

or falling off the When the cover has been secured in position on the box, the flaps I8 constitute a liner between the under side `of the cover and the upper layer or tier of fruit.

The provision of the intermediate diagonal` liner may be readily moved downward into the box without binding at the corners and, 'the notching or cutting away of the corners of the sheetis also effective in producing vertically disposed air circulation ducts D in the corners of the box (see Fig. 4).

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a" combined liner and extension wall member for fruit packing boxes or containers that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very eiective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved fresh fruit packextension and liner, may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A combined liner and wall extension member for fruit packing boxes comprising a sheet of thin material, the corners of which are cut away to form notches having straight edges at their inner ends, which straight inner edges are inclined substantially forty-five degrees relative to the side and end edges of the sheet, the portions of the sheet between the sides of -said notches constituting side and end iiaps, the sheet of material being scored along lines parallel with its side and end edges so as to dene the lines which scored lines terminate at the ends of the straight inclined edges at the inner ends of said notches and that portion of the sheet within said side and end flaps being out to form a pair of iiaps that are adapted to be opened upwardly and outwardly.

2. A combined liner and wall extension member as set forth in claim 1, with a tie strip connecting the central portions of the side naps and arranged between the inner edges of said central flaps.

3. A fresh fruit pack extension and liner comprising a sectionv of thin sheet material, the corners of which are cut away to form notches, the side portions of the sheet of` material between said notches constituting side flaps, the end portions of the sheet of material between the notches constituting end flaps, the sheet of material being scored along lines parallel with the edges of the side and end flaps to define the lines on `which said flaps may be bent, said notches being formed with straight edges at their inner ends, the ends of which straight edges terminate at the ends of said scored lines so that when the side and end naps are folded upwardly with respect to the main body portion of the sheet, the ends of said side and end flaps are spaced apart and a pair oi' upwardly and endwardly opening` ilaps cut from that portion of the sheet of material within said side and end flaps.

4. A fresh fruit pack extension and liner as set forth in` claim 3, with a transverse tie connecting the central portions of the side flaps and disposed between the inner edges of the flaps that are out from the central portion of the sheet.

5;-A fresh fruit pack extension and liner as set forth in claim 3 and said sheet of material being scored on transverse lines adjacent and parallel with the end flaps to define the lines on which the fiaps that are cut from the central portion of the sheet may fold.

6.' As a new article of manufacture, a fresh fruit pack extension and liner formed from a singlev piece of sheet material and comprising vertically disposed walls that are adapted to be positioned in the upper portion of a fruit packing box, a section of the thin sheet material connecting the upper edges of said Walls and adapted to provide a liner for the under side of the cover of the box towhich the extension and liner is applied, the length of the walls on the sides of the sheet of material from which the liner is formed being less than that portion of the material that connects the upper edges of said walls, the lengtli of the` walls at the ends of the sheet being less than the width of that portion of the sheet that connects said walls so that when the walls are folded at right angles to the connecting portion of the sheet, the ends of said walls are spaced apart and the sheet of material that connects said walls being cut to form an opening and a flap which normally closes said opening.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a fresh fruit pack extension and liner formed from a single piece of `sheet material and comprising vertically disposed walls that are adapted to be positioned in the upper portion of a fruit packing box, a section of the thin sheet material connecting the upper edges of said walls and adapted to provide a liner for the under side of the cover of the box to which the extension and liner is applied, the length of the walls on the sides of the sheet of material from which the liner is formed being` less than that portion of the material that connects the upper edges of said walls, the length of the walls at the ends of the sheet being less than the width of that portion of the `sheet that connects said walls so that when the walls are folded at right angles to the connecting portion of the sheet, the ends of said walls are spaced apart and the sheet of material that connects said walls being cut to form a pair of openings and flaps for normally closing said openings.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a fresh fruit pack extension and liner formed from a y single piece of sheet material and comprising vertically disposed walls that are adapted to be positioned in the upper portion of a fruit packing box, a section of the thin sheet material connecting the upper edges of said walls and connecting portion of the sheet, the ends of said GEORGE SYKES. 

